Sports
London 2012: 15-Yr Old Wins Swimming Gold
Teenager Ruta Meilutyte won Lithuania’s first ever Olympic gold in the pool by beating American Rebecca Soni in the women’s 100m breaststroke.
The 15-year-old, who goes to the same Plymouth school as Tom Daley , led from the start and beat the fast-finishing Soni by 0.08 seconds.
“Coming into this with her times you would never have predicted she would get to the final. She was just blown away by the occasion but what a way to do it.”
Japan’s Satomi Suzuki earned bronze, while Australia’s defending champion Leisel Jones finished fifth.
“I can’t believe it,” said a stunned Meilutyte. “It’s too much for me.”
Having set a new European record in the heats, a mark that beat her personal best by two seconds, Meilutyte swam even faster in the semi-finals on Sunday to qualify fastest for the final ahead of world champion and Beijing silver medallist Soni.
In the final, following a fault at the start, where the bleep went before the swimmers were told to take their marks, Meilutyte astonished both herself and the crowd to hold off her challengers and win in 1:05.47.
The gold was Lithuania’s first medal of the London Olympics.
Meilutyte, who moved to Britain three years ago with her father, is trained by English coach Jon Rudd.
He said that a fast swim had been “brewing for a while”.
“We didn’t realistically know what she would do,” said Rudd, who revealed that Meilutyte was a freestyler when she arrived in the United Kingdom.
“Her breaststroke was pretty tidy and we tidied it up even more.
“A big swim around the 1:05-1:06 mark was brewing for a while, it was just about putting the elements together on the day.
“She is a talented and vigilant worker. When you’ve got talent and work ethic you’ve got a great kid.”
Meilutyte could add to her medal tally as she is competing in the women’s 50m and 100m freestyle.
Plymouth College assistant headteacher Sarah Dunn said of her student’s triumph: “We are almost in tears, it was such an achievement.
“We knew she had great potential when she arrived here three years ago. Not only is she a fantastic athlete, but she is also a great scholar.
“She has always demonstrated superb talent and the hunger and desire to succeed. We had every confidence in her.
“To achieve what she has at such a young age is incredible. She is a real credit and we are so proud of her.”
The championship will run from today to October 12 at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia. On the ground for the championship are athletes from Brazil, Peru, Egypt, Cameroon, Tunisia, Nigeria, Mauritius and Rwanda. They arrived on Sunday.
Some of the other countries were expected in the Abia State capital yesterday. Speaking on the championship, yesterday, Abia State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Nwobilor Ananaba, said the chief host, Governor Alex Otti, has mobilised facilities and the personnel to ensure a successful event.
Speaking through the Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, Raymond Chima Ukwa, said: “We have the best mats, playing mats, especially the wheelchair playing mats, which is the first of its kind in West Africa.
“If you go around, you’ll see the hall and the preparation that has been made to ensure that people have an equitable world-class playing field.” Thrilled by Governor Otti’s support for the competition, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) President, Francis Orbih, said that, besides making all the necessary arrangements that will ensure a successful hosting of the events, “we will have a Para-Badminton workshop for coaches and players.
“Nigeria is doing well, Abia is doing well, and we want to do better to improve on where we are, which is why all these have been put together by Governor Otti.”
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles began their campaign at the 24th FIFA U20 World Cup with a narrow 1–0 loss to Norway on Monday, despite creating several opportunities to level the game.
Norway took the lead in the 9th minute after being awarded a controversial penalty. The Flying Eagles pressed for an equaliser but were denied two penalty claims in the second half.
Kparobo Arierhi came close in the 47th minute when his shot drifted wide with the goalkeeper beaten, while Tahir Maigana struck the upright in the 63rd minute.
Nasiru Salihu’s rising effort in the 71st minute also went narrowly over the bar, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Seven minutes from time, Maigana again tested Norway with a long-range strike that went just wide as Nigeria continued to pile on the pressure.
Despite their dominance, the Flying Eagles could not find the breakthrough and now turn their attention to Thursday’s clash against Saudi Arabia in their second group match.
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